Furnace humidifier mounting means



March 11, 1969 J. w. IRWIN FURNACE HUMIDIFIER MOUNTING MEANS Filed Sept. 14. 1967 I NVENTOR. JOHN W. IRWIN HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A furnace humidifier that is adapted to be mounted either against a vertical face of a Warm air furnace duct or against the underside of the duct. The humidifier housing is of box-like construction and it has two outer walls of general similarity. Each of the two walls has an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening. A mounting frame is adapted to encircle an air opening in the duct and to be fastened in place. The mounting frame has a supporting collar with one portion formed for engagement with an edge of the air openings in one wall of the housing. Said one wall of the housing includes an adjustable fastener that extends into the mounting frame at a point remotely from the said engaging portion of the supporting collar so as to serve as an adjustable leveling means for the humidifier housing.

Background of the invention There are many deleterious effects resulting from heating occupied spaces or buildings with forced warm air that has not been humidified. For example, dry, heated air recirculating through the furnace system absorbs moisture from the nose and throat areas of the occupants of the building which may result in discomfort, restricted breathing passages, chronic coughing and insomnia. In addition, dry air evaporates moisture from the human body causing the body to feel cool and chilly even though the temperature is relatively high. Since dry air requires higher temperatures for comfort than does humidified air, there is also a substantial increase in expenditures for fuel required to heat comfortably with non-humidified air.

These deleterious effects are substantially avoided by installing a humidifier in the warm air distribution duct or furnace plenum of the heating system. The main elements of a furnace humidifier are a power driven air handling device, an evaporating element, means for wetting the element so that the warm air is caused to pass through the element and pick up a percentage of the moisture from the element before the warm air proceeds through the distribution duct. A humidifier is customarily wired from a source of electrical power in a manner to operate only when a warm air furnace blower is running. A humidistat is furnished with the humidifier and it controls an electrically operated Water valve that supplies water to the humidifier. This water is fed to a water distributor or trough for an evaporating element. This element is a wettable filter pad having large surface areas through which the Warm furnace air can be drawn. An electric fan or blower provides the air moving function through the evaporating element. A slight amount of eX- cess water is allowed to drain from the element and accumulate in a sump and this is removed through a drain connection leading from the sump. This continuous draining or flushing action tends to keep mineral concentrations down by allowing them to be washed away by the fiow instead of collecting on the internal parts of the humidifier.

Hardship-s may be experienced during the installation of furnace humidifiers due to the cramped working conditions in certain furnace areas which makes it difficult to design a universal type of furnace humidifier for the myriad sets of conditions that are present throughout the country. Sometimes the humidifier can only be mounted on the underside of the duct and other times it has to be mounted on a vertical side of the duct and these alternatives require special consideration.

Summary of the invention The present invention, in accordance with one form thereof, relates to a furnace humidifier that has walls forming a box-like housing. At least one wall of the housing is provided with both an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening. This one wall of the housing is adapted to be mounted over an opening in a warm air distribution duct. A mounting frame is attached to the duct to encircle the opening therein and for providing a means on which the humidifier housing can be mounted. This frame has a supporting collar with one portion of the collar being provided with engaging means with one edge of the air openings of the humidifier housing. The housing also supports a fastener means located remotely from the engaging means of the supporting collar and attached to the mounting frame to serve both as a connecting means and an adjustable means for leveling the humidifier housing.

Brief description of the drawing My invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a furnace humidifier housing with the top cover removed to show the two walls of the housing each having an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a mounting frame assembled over an opening in a warm air distribution duct to serve as the coupling means between the humidifier housing of FIGURE 1 and the distribution duct.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view partly in cross-section of a humidifier housing supported from the mounting frame of FIGURE 2 on the vertical face of a distribution duct.

FIGURE 4 is another elevational view partly in crosssection of the humidifier housing suspended from the underside of a distribution duct by the same mounting frame as is used in FIGURE 3.

Description of the preferred embodiment Turning now to a consideration of the drawing and in particular to FIGURE 1 there is shown a furnace humidifier 10 having walls forming a box-like housing 11 which in the preferred embodiment is of molded plastic material such as glass filled polyster premix material. This housing has a bottom wall 12, end walls 13 and .14, front wall 15, top wall 16 and a back wall 17. The front wall 15 is provided with an air inlet opening 20 and an air outlet opening 21 Where said openings are spaced apart by a panel 22. Seen through the air inlet opening 20 is an evaporating element or wettable pad 25. The pad has a surrounding metal frame (not shown) with a top edge that is provided with a water trough 26 for receiving and distributing the water across the width of the pad so that the water may trickle down through the pad. Located behind this evaporating pad 25 is a rotating fan (not shown) that is centered within an orifice plate (not shown). Such a fan is driven by an electric motor that is located within the motor housing 28. Thus, the path of the heated air from the distribution duct is first through the air inlet opening 20, then through the moist evaporating pad 25 due to the air circulation cre- 3 ated by the rotating fan behind the pad, and finally the air exhausts from the humidifier housing 11 through the air outlet opening 21 thereby returning to the distribution duct.

Notice in FIGURE 1 that there is an angular cover member 30 of L-shape in plan view that is partially fitted in the end wall 14 and partially in the back wall 17. This cover 30 overlies a corner opening in the end wall 14 and back wall 17, and it is adapted to be removable for gaining access to the evaporating pad and it makes it possible to remove the pad for periodic cleaning and eventual replacement after a reasonable length of time; for instance, one year. This cover is held in place by a pair of slide fasteners 32 which include a spring finger (not shown) on the inner surface of the cover to overlie an adjacent edge of the corner opening in the housing when the slide is shifted toward the edge. Thus, in order to remove the cover the slide fasteners 32 are shifted away from the edge to disengage the spring fingers.

Notice that the top wall 16 of the humidifier housing 11 has air openings 20 and 21' that are very similar to the air inlet opening 20 and the air outlet opening 21 of the front wall 15. Moreover there is a similar separating panel identified as 22. Thus, the humidifier housing 11 may be supported from either its front wall 15 for vertical mounting as in FIGURE 3 or from its top wall 16 for mounting to the underside of the Warm air distribution duct as in FIGURE 4. Only one set of air inlet and outlet openings 20, 21 or 20, 21' should be open for any particular installation. Hence, a removable cover plate 57, substantially the size of either the front wall 15 or top wall 16, is provided for closing the unused set of air inlet and outlet openings. The cover plate is provided with a set of fastening screws 58 adjacent the four corners thereof which are each furnished with a blade member (not shown) fixed on the inner end thereof so that a turning motion of the screw will turn the blade to underlie an edge of the openings and prevent removal of the cover plate until the screws 58 are readjusted.

Looking at FIGURE 2, there is shown a fragment of a vertical wall of a warm air distribution duct. Cut into this wall 35 is a generally square access opening 36, and encircling this opening 36 is a metal mounting frame 38 that is designed to serve as a supporting adapter between the humidifier housing 11 and the distribution duct 35 in such a way that the housing may be supported either to a vertical face of the duct as is shown in FIGURE 3 or to the underside of the duct as is shown in FIGURE 4. The mounting frame 38 has a generally planar base flange 39 that is adapted to be fastened to the wall of the duct, as well as a supporting collar 40 that is generally perpendicular to the plane of the base flange for engaging the humidifier housing 11. The base flange is provided with a plurality of screw openings for receiving fastening means such as sheet metal screws 41 for holding the mounting frame 38 firmly in place. One side of the supporting collar 40, such as the top side in FIGURE 2, has an outwardly turned lip means 43 for engaging behind an adjacent edge of the air openings 20 and 21 in the housing 11. Because of the existence of the separating panel 22, the supporting collar 40 is notched as at 45 and 46 so that the collar may telescope into the air openings 20 and 21 as is best seen in FIGURE 3. This FIGURE 3 shows the humidifier housing 11 suspended from the vertical face 35 of the distribution duct by hooking the top edge of the air openings 20 and 21 over the lip 43 of the supporting collar 40.

It is important to be able to level the humidifier so that the bottom wall is substantially horizontal and the evaporating pad 25 will receive a uniform bath of water. Leveling is provided by an adjustable screw 47 as seen in FIGURE 3 which is captured in either the panel 22 or 22' through an opening 48 or 48 that is located at a point, remote from the edge of the openings 20, 21 or 20, 21' that engages the lip 43 of the supporting collar 40-.

This leveling screw 47 is confined in the hole 48 by means of a snap ring 50' or perhaps a cotter pin.

Looking at FIGURE 2, the mounting frame 38 is provided with a tab 51 that is in the same plane as the base flange 39 and it generally spans the notched portion 45 of the supporting collar 40. This tab 51 is furnished with a screw receiving hole 52 and a clip member 53 which slips over the top of the tab and has lanced tongues for creating a screw threaded opening in alignment with the hole 52 for receiving the leveling screw 47. Such a clip member is Widely sold under the trade name Tinnerman Fastener. Thus, with the cover 30 removed it is possible for the installer to reach into the humidifier housing 11 and adjust the leveling screw 47 so as to move the panel 22 either toward or away from the duct 35 and thereby leveling the bottom wall 12 of the housing.

Notice in the arrangement of FIGURE 4 where the humidifier housing 11 is suspended from the underside of a distribution duct 55 in a manner similar to the connecting means between the humidifier housing 11 and the mounting frame 38 of FIGURE 3. Again the leveling screw 47 is capable of moving the panel 22' either toward or away from the duct 55 thereby leveling the bottom wall 12 of the housing.

A resilient gasket of foam rubber or the like is attached around the supporting collar 40 as is best seen in FIGURE 2 to close the air gap between the humidifier housing and the mounting frame 38.

Modifications of this invention will occur to those skilled in this art, therefore, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed but that it is intended to cover all modifications which are within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A furnace humidifier having walls forming a boxlike housing, at least one wall of the housing having therein both an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening in spaced relation, said one wall of the housing being adapted to be mounted over a large opening in a hot air distribution duct, and a humidifier mounting frame adapted to encircle the said duct opening and to be fastened to the duct, said frame having a generally planar base flange for engaging the duct and a supporting collar generally perpendicular to the base flange for engaging the humidifier housing, one side of the supporting collar having an outwardly turned lip means for engaging behind an adjacent edge of the openings in said housing, said one wall of the housing having an adjustable fastener supported by and extending through said one wall of the housing and located remotely from the lip means of the supporting collar, the mounting frame including a receiving means for the said fastener whereby the humidifier housing is adapted to be supported from a hot air dis tribution duct by means of the mounting frame and the humidifier housing may be leveled by adjusting the said fastener.

2. A furnace humidifier as recited in claim 1 wherein the air inlet and the air outlet openings in'the said one wall of the humidifier housing are separated by a panel, portions of the supporting collar of the mounting frame being removed for receiving the panel closely adjacent the base flange, the said fastener being carried by said panel and being accessible for adjustment from within the housing.

3. A furnace humidifier having walls forming a boxlike housing, at least one wall of the housing having an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening that are separated by a panel, said one wall of the housing being adapted to be mounted over an access opening in a hot air distribution duct, a mounting frame adapted to encircle the said access opening and to be assembled to the duct, said frame comprising a base portion and a supporting collar, said collar being adapted to extend substantially around the said access opening, one portion of the said collar being provided with outwardly formed tabs for engaging behind an edge of the air openings of the humidifier housing, portions of the collar being removed for receiving the said wall panel in close proximity to the base portion of the mounting frame, an adjustable fastener carried by the said wall panel, and a fastener receiving means carried by the mounting frame at a distance from the said tabs, whereby the humidifier housing is joined to the mounting frame by a cooperation between the formed tabs of the frame and the said adjustable fastener.

4. A furnace humidifier as recited in claim 3 wherein the said fastener is loosely mounted in the wall panel, and retainer means for holding the fastener against longitudinal movement with respect to the wall panel so that the fastener serves as a leveling means to insure that the bottom portion of the humidifier housing is disposed in a generally horizontal plane.

5. A furnace humidifier as recited in claim 3 wherein there is a second wall of the housing generally similar to said one wall of the housing and having a second set of air inlet and outlet openings, whereby the said mounting frame is capable of supporting the humidifier from either one of said two walls of the humidifier housing, and cover means for closing the one of the two walls of the housing which is not being used.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,105,860 10/1963 Dunn 126--l13 X 3,171,401 3/1965 McDuffee l261 13 3,359,967 12/1967 Homkes 126-113 JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 26197 

